At the most recent meeting of Community Board (CB) 10, a unanimous vote was cast against a proposed home for “children experiencing social and emotional difficulty” in South Ozone Park.
“The vote was unanimously against it based on saturation,” said CB 10 Chair Betty Braton. “Such a facility would only alter the fabric of the community because of the saturation of such facilities.”
The proposal for the eight-bed residence, at 126th Street off Rockaway Boulevard, was sent to the community board in mid-July by operator St. Vincent’s Youth Residential Services. The CB was required to respond within 40 days.
“We were, needless to say, very disappointed that we didn’t get the approval, primarily because it deprives the children in the area of desperately-needed services,” said Mary Louise Morgan, Managing Director for parent company St. Vincent’s Services.
Saying they have not yet decided how to move forward, Morgan continued, “[We are] considering a lot of different options.”
The next step in the procedure, under the Padavan Law, would be a Commissioner’s Hearing, in which an impartial hearing officer will listen to both sides and then make recommendations to the Commissioner of Mental Health, Michael Hogan, with whom the ultimate decision rests.
